New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-02
INEBRIEIY BY CONTAGION

| DR.. T. d. Crothers has reprinted from "1he
Alienist and Neurologist" an interesting paper en-
Titled Certain Hereditary and rsychical Pie
nomena in Inebriety." Tho purport Of it Is to
illustrate the authors novel view that intoxica
ton may he impaired by cOntagion when hered-
| itary defects predispose the system to such in
| fluences. That Is to say, perfectly sober man.
brought in contact with drunken men, may be.
come drunk himself to all practical intents. an
| equally sober person whose parents one or both.
were hard drinkers. may when exposed to some
sudden mental shock apparently become fully in
toXicated. DR. Crothers supports this remarkable
hypothesis by number Of specific cases, all or
which arc striking. II is DO be observed that
the phenomena of mind-reading pale their incf-
fectual fires beside the wonder Of this new dis
covery. Indeed Mark Twain's vivacious account
Of the Siamcse twins in whom, he asserted. bhc
most indistinguishable. complete and harmonious
drunkenness produced by pouring whiskey
into and hot water into thc other. sinks into
insgnilcance before DR.. Crothcrs's theory that
sober man. merely seated by the side OF o
drunken one, may share the intoxication OF the
latter.
The doctor cites the OF n society man who
was very abstemious. "For several years it was
noticed that afber an hour more spent in com
pany Of men who had been drinking he would
intoxicated lie would DO with them hilarious or
stupid, and use only coffee moderately, while the
others drank vino. Sometimes these states would
60 so far as to make him stupid and unable TO
walk and he would need the assistance OF a guide
and q carriage to get homo The next morning
he would have a headache" Another case is that
OF wealthy farmer and strong temperance man
who was sent to Congress. lie formed strong
attachment for hard drinking man in the same
body. and after being in his comrany for a few
hours would walk and talk like him" 1t must
be confessed that these cases seem not wholly I'M
familiar. Cases in which lobstcr salai or salmon
carly green peas or Wacncrs music. or political
excitement, has suIerinluccd all the SYM toms
OF incbricty, have been heard OF before. There
are it Is to be feared many wives whose ex-
percnce has brought them acquainted with "in-
cbrie,y by contarion" in its worst forms. It is.
however. to be noted that thc wives in these cases
are AS rule sccptical, and that the husbands do
not usually attempt, next morning. seriously
to maintain the theory propoun led by them in the
small hours they were their win ling way"
to bed.
Before we accept DR. Crothcrs's interesting and
suggestive Hypothesis therefore. it seems necessary
that IL should bc fortified somewhat. We shall
MT commit ourselves to n POSITION OF biGotcd
incrcdulIty. but DR. Crohcrs In rvs, as a man OF
science, uidt III lh'rc i atufa WHY OF ca
planning phenomena it Is the duty of the invcs
ti-ator to prefer IT To an occult lncrprcatl
When cases such rs are IN question here are adj
duccd, the first doubt suggested is Us to the &c
cuIacy with which they were observed May
not the first gentleman have taken something
slron or than coffee. for instance? May MT the
second g,n, lcuan have joined the bad Congressman
mono fully Ihnn is stated IN his nightly orgies .
Evidently there ought TO be no room for doubt
On these heads. because il there is the public are
thrown back upon ordinary experience which I'M
La Is warrants the cynical suS' lc that men
may lie about the circumstances which produced
in item "all tho symptoms 81 full inboNication.
or course II the truth of the discovery can be
proved ii viii have far-rcnchinS results: but we
very much fear that It's chief utility VIII even
then consist in the scientific support IL VIII give
to the hicCOughns nssulanCcs Of late rcjurIin,
srOus,s from the club, TO the effect that "M'dcar
10 wash she lobster shallad ~ So weak Is frail
humanity